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Penn State Further 'Stressed' at Linebacker Following Alex Tatsch's Injury

Penn State’s defense faces a significant setback after linebacker Alex Tatsch suffered a season-ending injury in practice before the team’s game against USC. The sophomore from Latrobe, Pennsylvania, had emerged as a key contributor this season, recording 11 tackles (including 1.5 for loss), a sack, and a forced fumble in four games.

His absence further thins an already struggling linebacker corps, which had already lost defensive end Max Granville to a season-ending injury earlier this year. Head coach Matt Campbell emphasized the loss, calling Tatsch’s impact on the defense “tough” and noting the added pressure on the unit without him.

Tatsch had returned from a December 2025 injury to become a reliable presence, particularly behind standout linebacker Tony Rojas, who has been Penn State’s defensive anchor this season. With Rojas averaging 56.3 snaps per game in Big Ten play, the Nittany Lions will need to carefully manage his workload to sustain their defensive performance.

The injury compounds Penn State’s depth concerns at linebacker, where the team has relied on a limited rotation even before Tatsch’s absence.

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